Back Yard Beauty

Another iris

brings beauty to the back yard,

Sweetening my day.

Just Ducky

A duck in the street
Busy pruning his feathers,
Never mind the cars.

Lantern

A bright pink rhodi

With blossoms big as a ball

Lights up the morning.

Blossoms

Gracing the back yard

A fuchsia azalea

Makes me want to smile.

In My Dream (2) ...

I was confronted
for touching a man's shoulder.
I resigned and left.

Homophobia?
Or did I touch an old wound?
Maybe it was both.

So what happened next?
Sharpened up my boundaries,
No more playful touch. 

A Hint?

Woke up to sunshine
filling the house with bright light.
First sign of summer?

In My Dream ...

I was the preacher,
My sermon lasted too long.
Everybody left!

My sermon that day?
Something about "listening,"
Paying attention.

What is the message?
In waking life as in dreams
"Practice what you preach!"

Fooled Again

Another hard rain
Pouring outside my window,
Left raincoat at home!

Snooze

Sitting in my chair,
Eyes beginning to close and ...
An afternoon nap.

Lost

Memorial Day:
Remembering dead soldiers,
Killed to keep the peace.

"Start Your Engines"

Indy 500:
Thirty-three cars turning left,
One hundred years old.

Nap Wake-Up

Hailstones pound the roof,
Quarter inch white balls hit ground,
Wonder what comes next?

Shining Bright (How Long?)

Late blooming rhodi

Finally getting sunshine,

More rain on its way.

Diagnosis?

Went to the doctor
for answers about my cough.
Lungs clear.  Just takes time.

"O"

For twenty-five years
She opened her heart to us.
Today, her last show.


She shared life lessons.
All that she learned with us.
"What I know for sure."


It came to an end
Just as everything ends.
Be grateful for life!

Still Tired

The cough continues,
Feels like it will never end.
Time for a long nap!

Tired of It!

Not much sleep last night,
Woke up coughing many times,
When will this thing end?

Awaken to Beauty

Beside the sidewalk

Bleeding hearts and irises

Grace my morning walk.

On A Neighborhood Walk

Purple irises
with their long flowing white beards
Blowing in the wind.

Cough, Cough

The cough has returned,
This time harder and deeper,
My vocal cords hurt!

Today At The Office

Change is forthcoming,
Not sure when it will happen,
Trust is the lesson!

Surprising News

In the staff meeting
She said it was time to leave,
Betrayed too often.

In Living Pink

Dogwood in full bloom,
Pink flower petals spread wings,
Flying to the sun.

Flying Home

Sitting in the plane
Listening to babies cry,
Joys of air travel?

Morning After

Sitting by the pool
Soaking up the bright sunshine,
Arizona heat!

5/14 @ 5:14 pm

May your wedding day
Bring you happiness and joy
Each day of your lives.

Last Chance

Flying to Phoenix
For Brother Bob's fifth wedding, 
Will it be his last?

Not Ready

Traveling again,
Gone for another weekend,
Longing to stay home.

Forgotten

Where is that poem?
Did I write it or did I not?
That is the question.

Life Goes On

Back at work today,
Returning calls, catching up.
Hard to concentrate.

Yesterday's News

Newspaper headline:
"Always listen to your mom."
Will I hear her now?

A Day Without Her

On this Mother's Day,
The day of my mother's birth,
No mother to call.

Wondering

As my brother drives,
We talk about what comes next.
Life without mother.

Celebrating Mother

A beautiful day,
We bury Mom with her kin,
Now she rests in peace.

At the Funeral Home

My brother and I
Look at Mom in the casket,
Together, we weep.

Remembering

Brother and sister
tell stories of our mother,
Remember her life.

Almost Home

Out the plane window,
"The Land of 10,000 Lakes" --
Minnesota home.

The Day After

Packing to go home
for my mother's funeral,
Feeling waves of grief.

May Day

The first day of May,
The last day of mother's life,
She died this morning.

Mother's Dying

Her heartbeat is strong,
Her breathing is getting slower,
Not much longer left.

Vigil

I called my brother,
He says mother is sleeping,
Not many words left.

Mother's Wish

He reads her the Psalms,
She asked to sing old church hymns,
Last days of her life.

A Brother's Tears

As my brother speaks
I hear the grief in his voice,
Our mother near death.

Mother's Last Days

Mother lays dying
In her nursing home bed now.
Waiting for last breath.

Oregon Spring

Hailstones pelt the car,
Followed by a big downpour --
Oregon Spring time.

High School Church Choir

It's Easter Sunday,
Sunrise service memories,
Sing Hallelujah!

Long Awaited

Sunshine ... finally!
Off to Saturday Market
to bring home veggies.

85 Years is Enough Life

My brother called me,
Saying that Mom is dying.
She told him "I'm glad."

Called to talk with Mom,
She said she's ready to go
When her last breath comes.

Said "I love you Mom"
And she said "I love you Todd."
Perhaps our last words.

What's for Lunch?

Ate a bowl of soup,
Chicken potato curry,
A great tasting lunch.

Dreamland

What does this dream mean?
Two woman friends stole my house
And held an art sale.


Caught them in the act,
Warned them not to sell my stuff,
And watch out for thieves.


Don't know what happened
because I woke up early
To write this poem.

Correct Diagnosis?

Back to the doctor
to diagnosis the fevers,
Caused by rash on leg?


Antibiotics
take on the skin infection
From the inside out.

Unknowns

Another fever
last night after a good day,
Time for the doctor?

Cornucopia

Out for a burger
and french fries with my sweetie,
Feel nearly normal.

Night Sweat

Spiked a night fever,
Today muscle aches and pain,
Go soak in the tub!

Where to next?

Taking our picture
to renew a lapsed passport,
Make some travel plans!

An Overdue Honor

Eighty-nine years old,
An American hero,
Honored peacemaker.

Edgar Peara Receives French Legion of Honor, April 14, 2011

Let It Be

That awareness heals
is a fundamental truth,
Welcome in what is.

Reading Ezra Bayda - Beyond Happiness

On the way to the Post Office

A shiny penny
in the middle of the street,
Who will pick it up?

The Point

Reside in what is,
The point is to be aware,
Be fully present.

Reading Ezra Bayda - Beyond Happiness

First Sighting

On grape hyacinth,
A hummingbird sips nectar,
An early breakfast.

Afternoon Respite

Sipping my coffee,
Eating a pumpkin muffin,
Basking in sunshine.

Do What?

To just be present
Surrendering to what is,
Doing sweet nothing!

Reading Ezra Bayda - Beyond Happiness

Spring Into Winter?

Ruby red rhodies,
Hundreds of flowers in bloom,
Snow in the forecast!

Sun Seekers

Petals opening,
Pink magnolia blossoms
Reaching for the sun.

Demorepublicrats

Government shutdown?
Politics of Washington
Where no one listens.

Ugly Ball

Watching basketball,
Final game of March Madness,
Worst I've ever seen!

Early Birds

5:40 a.m.
What woke me up so early?
"Gobble-gobble" songs.

Spring Morning

Breezy Saturday,
Sunshine breaking through the clouds,
Trillium in bloom.

April Fools Day

March gave us a bath.
Will April bring more sunshine?
First tulips blooming!

Caught

What blocks happiness?
When caught in the thinking mind,
Regretting your Past.


What blocks happiness?
When caught in the thinking mind,
Seeking the Future.

(More from Ezra Bayda in Beyond Happiness)

Accept Others (and Yourself)

Where do we all end?
Death -- the great equalizer.
Get over ourselves!

(Reading Guy Kawasaki's Enchantment, The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions)

Are You Happy?

What is happiness?
It's not what you are feeling,
Nor is it a goal.

Happiness starts with
generosity of heart,
And being present.

(Reading Ezra Bayda's Beyond Happiness)

Taking a Break

Through the window glass,
Looking across the river,
Bikers cruise the trail.

Tax Time

Working on taxes,
Plugging in all the numbers.
Getting a refund!

Little Boys on a Mission

My first boyhood friend
recalled childhood memories
I had forgotten.


At the age of four,
determined to get cookies,
Two boys ran to Grandma's.


Going the wrong way, 
They didn't get to Grandma's,
Neighbors caught them first.


What were they thinking?
Just to get Grandma's cookies,
Boys know what they want!

How were they punished?
To your room without dinner,
Which Mom brought later.

After sixty years,
Two "old boys" eat their dinner,
Thinking of cookies.

Rinpoche IV

Meditation is
non-judgmental awareness --
Watch your thoughts come and go.

More March Madness

Butler Bulldogs win!
Live for a Saturday game.
Can they win again?

Rinpoche III

Just notice your thoughts.
There are no good or bad thoughts,
there are only thoughts.

A Walk in the Sunshine

Narcissus in bloom,
Pink and red camellias,
Flowering delights!

Rinpoche II

The mind is active
like the ocean making waves,
Your thoughts just come up.

Birds of the Season

Turkeys gobbling,
Another sign of Springtime
Or Thanksgiving Day?

Birds Remembered

Robins are singing
Memories of long ago,
Beginning of Spring.

Round Ball Marathon

Watching "March Madness,"
more buzzer-beaters today,
And a few blow-outs.

March Round Ball

Basketball madness,
Tournament games have begun,
Who beats the buzzer?

More Signs of Spring

Light purple flowers,
Rhododendrons in full bloom,
Spring is on its way.

Hints of Spring

Through the window glass
Tree branches with rosy buds,
Pink blossoms next week!

On the Rise

River still rising,
Will it overflow its banks?
More rain on the way.

Stormy March

Rain blowing sideways,
Tree branches litter the streets,
Driving toward home.

End of Long Illness

Walking in the sun
Holding hands with my sweetheart,
Together at last.

Reunion After 55 Years

I received a note
from my first boyhood "best" friend,
Coming in two weeks!

Oregon Spring

Trees are blossoming,
Buds are bursting pink and white
While the rain keeps falling!

Gratitude Prayer

Thank you for this day,
Thank you for all that I love,
Thank you for my life.

Bedtime

I'm getting sleepy,
Haven't written a poem.
This is it today.

Life Lesson

Starting where you are,
not where you would like to be,
Gives your life meaning.

Daily Rituals

Repetitive acts . . .
Are they a waste of your time
Or your saving grace?

Neverending Noise

The sound in my head
constantly screams in my ears,
No silent moments.

Longing

Her cough lingers on,
No intimacy for weeks.
Missing our kisses.

Watching Oregon Art Beat

Hearing Robert Bly
read his poem reminds
Me of my boyhood home.

Early Morning

Five o'clock wake-up,
Train whistles in the distance,
Railroad reveille.

Tyranny of Time - III

What's left? "The present."
The present moment is now,
That instant of "now."

(Note:  See the last two haiku for reference)